[Cipher13]

Okay obviously there are lots of different brands of CD-R's... some have dark dyes, some very light dyes, etc...
Now I'm just wondering what is best for what kinda thing?
I think the darker dyes are better for data, aren't they?
And the lighter ones are easier for drives to read?
Meaning, for data CD's, use dark CD's (such as the Verbatim DataLifePlus CD's, my personal favs), and for music CD's for example, seeing as most CD players don't have lasers nearly as strong as a computer CD or DVD drive, use light coloured CD's (like most on the market)?
Thats just what I assume... I have no idea really, which is why I'm posting this...
Any theories, ideas, experiences, etc?
What are the advantages of dark/light dyes?

Cipher13

[This message has been edited by Cipher13 (edited 09-04-2000).]

[runningdog]

In my experience the Verbatum (blue dye) and Kodak (gold, clear dye) are the best. My concern with the cheaper discs made with the green dye layer is that they tend to be too thin - so thin that you can see pretty well through these discs in the light - one of the warnings of a cheap and potentially bad disc. i've read that the gold discs are best for archiving though they can still suffer from damage like the other discs (scratches, heat, ect.) One important tip is to stick with a brand name. Kodak gold discs work great and they come plain - without any print on the disc. i've had some problems with Memorex discs which use the cheaper green dye. For music cds i like to use Maxell cause they use the blue dye layer, have a minimum amount of print on the cd (which doubles as a scratch protector) and they're pretty cheap too. i've only had one bad Maxell disc - it was out of balance.

For a lot more info check out this long list of CD-R failures.